<p>Wow. Touchy. Defensive, much.</p>
<p>Go from “H designated driver” jokes to attack dog on agenda’s. I need a neck brace from the whiplash.</p>
<p>Peace.</p>
<p>S left before 6AM for the drive back. He drove with some other kids and they had a bit of rough weather just before getting to campus. (Boy I sure do miss those Midwest winter storms! - NOT)</p>
<p>He is looking at another packed semester. Had 20 credits 1st semester, and will have 21 this semester. Coupled with his 5-6 day/week team practice schedule and his music ensemble and work schedules, I hope he can hang in there, and stay healthy! (Got the flu vacc. back in Oct.) His little sis already misses him terribly. She had a good cry this morning and then again at bedtime. </p>
<p>Safe travels to all those leaving this week.</p>
<p>D2 leaves tomorrow. D1 came over for the day. They went to see a movie and watched the Golden Globe tonight. D2 is having a hard time fitting everything into one suitcase. We gave her one of our largest suitcases. She is going to have a busy semester.</p>
<p>In case anyone wants to know if they are on the right side of law. I let my D taste my wine when we went out to celebrate her graduation and was wondering if I broke any laws. I think someone gave me a similar link (Steve?).</p>
<p>[40</a> States That Allow Underage (under 21) Alcohol Consumption - Drinking Age - ProCon.org](<a href=“http://drinkingage.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002591]40”>State-by-State MLDA Exceptions - Drinking Age - ProCon.org)</p>
<p>Thanks for posting that link texaspg. I was under the impression – mistakenly! – that CA allowed consumption on private, non alcohol-selling premises, with parental consent.</p>
<p>Me, too, mihcal1! I think many people I know here in Ca. are under that mistaken assumption.</p>
<p>For those underage drinkers, no photos on Intagram - just sayin’!</p>
<p>glido - priceless advice. I see pictures other people post on social media and I am shocked. </p>
<p>Being up in the middle of the night means I am contemplating the meaning of life…</p>
<p>Grad school? What major to choose? What if I don’t like anything? What if I’m not good at what I like (or anything at all)? Drop out of college? What to do this summer? So many questions, so much time 
</p>
<p>On the room switching, good luck. As you all may remember, I switched at the end of October, smack in the middle of the semester. Terrible. There are definite trade offs (and you can’t request to live with someone in your building, bummer) and sometimes I get upset and wish I was back with my friends, more like family, (whom I never see anymore) in the other dorm. I am looking forward to upperclassmen housing.</p>
<p>IJustDrive wrote:
A girl’s gotta have her priorities, right? 
Thanks, by the way, for the kind words on S’s math class. He was in the lower of two linear algebra + mvc classes the math department jokingly refers to as “intensive” and “intensiver.” He’s happier where he is and he’ll still get enough mvc to understand the derivations in multivariate statistics.</p>
<p>Weatherga (along with several other parents) mentioned anxiety. Definitely an adjustment for some of these kids who were always the best (or nearly so) at everything. Now that they’re surrounded by other kids who played the same role in other high schools, something’s got to give. S has had anxiety issues all along and they were particularly bad this semester–bad enough, I think, that he’s finally motivated to address them.</p>
<p>College_query makes a very good point. Dorms at NU are open for Thanksgiving break (although dining services are limited). At winter and spring breaks, they are closed–no option to stay.</p>
<p>Did anyone notice the fine print in the Texas law that allows an underage spouse to drink under the direct supervision of a “legal” spouse? There’s gotta be a story there. :)</p>
<p>Wisdom from glido! If cell phone cameras and the internet had been around back when I was a pup, I would never be able to live in the town I grew up in. :o</p>
<p>S and husband just drove off in the car to go back to school. I asked S if he felt he had a long break (never had more than 10 days off in regular school for xmas time). He said he did but was ready to get back to his friends at college. Nice to have had him home but glad to see him ready to return.</p>
<p>Lakemom, I know the feeling. Sad to see them go but happy that they’re happy with school.</p>
<p>S will be gone in a week. He’s off with friends again today. Very happy that they share the same lengthy break! He got his flu shot this morning. A LONG line at the CVS in our town which apparently is the only place that still has it in stock.</p>
<p>Dropped DS off at the airport this am. His flight lands just about now. He brought his xbox back to school with him, AMA. In the hospital that means against medical advice but here it is against mom’s orders! He insists that he can balance his work, play and social life but he has never proven that to me in the past. I am concerned but I guess he has to learn for himself. I am not happy though, at all.</p>
<p>We’ve got S for another week, too. We love him dearly, but he’s doing the fouling the nest thing, so we won’t be too sad to see him go! We keep telling ourselves that we should be happy (he’s happy, on dean’s list, vounteering at the high school, doing a research project for the mayor), but he resists everything else like doing his laundry, getting a flu shot, taking care of his scholarship paperwork, and buying his books. Ack! Dad finally had to drag him to CVS for the shot, I had to show him how to use the washing machine (again), and Dad is chief nag on paperwork. We gave up on the books. He can wait in line at the school bookstore!</p>
<p>Thanks for the link TexasPG. After the last many years in Wisconsin where coolers of beer were common after soccer games for HS aged kids, we’re now in Indiana which evidently is a “no way, no how” on underaged drinking. Good to know for common sense purposes if nothing else!</p>
<p>Just back from a week long cruise with my husband (pre celebration of our 25th) so it’s kind of a harsh reality as we left the same day as the younger two did to go back to school. Now i’m back in the cold temps, in the real world, and with all the kiddos gone. Kind of like starting with the whole empty nest thing all over again. :(</p>
<p>marciemi–
about the empty nest again. But wow and 
on the cruise!</p>
<p>Hi marciemi! I hope the cruise was fabulous to make up for missing the kiddos.</p>
<p>Got up at 4:15 this morning after staying up past 1 to get my son on the plane by 6:45 am. He’s already back cross county. </p>
<p>We all miss him already, particularly my 8 year old who complained big brother didn’t spend enough time with him. Tis true; my son’s social calendar while here was intense! He did sleep in a few days and realized how much he missed good sleep. He promises to change his ways…ha. I’m not holding my breath. I have to accept the fact that his social life will always be preeminent to most other things. Well, that is how he’s designed-don’t wanna mess with it, I guess.</p>
<p>CPU, anytime you want to head over to MIT and hang out with my son, say the word. :-)</p>
<p>sbjdorlo- I will! I was only able to get over there once last semester and that was before things picked up. Leaving campus requires more effort and time than I thought, even to go down the street!</p>
<p>S and hubby arrived at school. Every 30 minutes along the way they said the temps dropped 2 degrees. Hubby was going to take S and any friends around out for dinner. My boy with the transition issues asked if he’d be staying with dad tonight. That thought floated away as he walked through the dorm with a smile on his face, kids came out to greet him, roomie gave him crap about caving and getting a haircut. He ended up wanting to set up his new computer and hanging with the friends and eating at the cafeteria. Dropped dad like a hot potato.</p>
<p>Hubby is now in a hotel across the street with what he says is a beautiful view of the library all lit up. My mom says it’s him visiting our money. lol </p>
<p>S admitted after going to help the g/f change rooms at her dorm, he doesn’t know how she stands it there. Their hs is in the same area, there is nothing there, tiny school - completely unappealing (sigh of relief on this end) </p>
<p>And as much as I got that pang watching him drive away, he’s so happy at school, so comfortable there and ready to kick butt this semester. Is it weird I worry less about him while he’s at school than at home?</p>
<p>I came back to a quiet home. I got a call from AmEx to let me know that someone found D2’s wallet. It is at a store down in SoHo. It has all of her credit cards, key, school ID, but minus her cash. H is going down to pick it up and over night it to her tomorrow. We did get all of her cards and driver license replaced.</p>